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Nissan Kicks vs. Nissan Rogue Sport

Automotive Editor

Justin Cupler has specialized as an automotive writer since 2009 and has been published in multiple websites and online magazines. In addition to contributing to CarsDirect, Justin also hosts a web-series car-review show and dabbles in the world of personal-finance writing.

His specialty is in the high-performance realm, but he has a deep love and understanding for all things automotive. Before diving into the world of writing, Justin was an automotive technician and manager for six years and spent the majority of his younger life tinkering with classic muscle cars.

The crossover segment is so popular some automakers have launched sibling models that are close in size and target demographic. For Nissan, the Rogue Sport and Kicks match this description perfectly. The Nissan Rogue Sport and Kicks both offer compact footprints for urban safaris, but there are some distinct features setting them apart. Which is better for your daily commute? Keep reading to find out.

The Nissan Rogue Sport does a great job of taking the styling of its large Rogue sibling and shrinking it to a smaller platform. This look suits the smaller body well, making it one of the sharper non-luxury compact crossovers available today.

Inside, the Nissan Rogue Sport shares its sporty, flat-bottom steering wheel with the Kicks, but slipping behind this wheel is the real treat. The seats are well-padded, supportive, and allow the front-seat riders to stay in the same position for long trips. The cabin is also quiet for such a small crossover. With its 61.1 cubic feet of max cargo capacity, the Rogue Sport out-totes the Kicks by eight cubes.

While no one will ever call the Rogue Sport a feature-packed crossover, it gets one over on the Kicks with plenty of optional tech and safety bits.

Finally, with its 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine packing 141 horsepower and 147 pound-feet of torque, the Nissan Rogue Sport has an advantage over the Kicks by 16 hp and 32 lb-ft of torque.

What the Kicks Gets Right

With a $19,335 (destination fee included) base price for the 2018 model, the Nissan Kicks has a $3,820 pricing advantage over the larger 2018.5 Rogue Sport. This leaves loads of room to add features, or you can just pocket the savings. While the Rogue Sport is handsome, the Nissan Kicks stands out from the crowd, making it a great pick for extroverts.

Though it loses out in the raw power competition, the Nissan Kicks is about more than just acceleration times. It’s about fuel economy too, and the Kicks delivers in this department with up to 31 miles per gallon city, 36 mpg highway, and 33 combined, according to the EPA. This beats the Rogue Sport by six mpg city, four highway, and five combined.

Finally, the Rogue Sport has yet to go through the full array of safety testing from the IIHS, while the Nissan Kicks has already received its Top Safety Pick certification. And with its standard automatic emergency braking, buyers don't have to add any options to get this second-best safety rating.

Feel Younger in the Hip Nissan Kicks

Though the Nissan Kicks cannot quite overcome its larger sibling, its hip styling and sporty cabin will make you feel younger. Beyond that, city drivers will appreciate its smaller, easier-to-park footprint and superior fuel economy.

Though you may feel younger in the Nissan Kicks, the Nissan Rogue Sport’s comfy front seats will help you feel more spry when emerging front the cabin after a long drive. Also, its larger cargo area gives you all the space you need to bring everything along on said long trip.

Justin Cupler has specialized as an automotive writer since 2009 and has been published in multiple websites and online magazines. In addition to contributing to CarsDirect, Justin also hosts a web-series car-review show and dabbles in the world of personal-finance writing.

His specialty is in the high-performance realm, but he has a deep love and understanding for all things automotive. Before diving into the world of writing, Justin was an automotive technician and manager for six years and spent the majority of his younger life tinkering with classic muscle cars.